The Midday Brief: January 13, 2010

Your afternoon reading:

• "I'm a little uncomfortable with the process of approving projects years after they're completed." — TribBlog: Straus Wants to Slow Down on Mansion — Texas Tribune

• "Hutchison raised $6 million in the latest period- which means she has collected over $20 million so far in her bid to unseat Perry." — Hutchison leads Perry in money in GOP gov race — TRAIL BLAZERS

• "Candidate Debra Medina, who has polled between 4 and 7 percent support among likely Republican voters in recent polls, did not meet the criteria to be included in the debate...." — Perry, Hutchison to face off Jan. 29 in debate hosted by Dallas Morning News, Belo — Dallas Morning News

• "Hutchison intends to leave the Senate once the fights over federal health care and cap-and-trade environmental policy are settled." — Hutchison still resigning, regardless of what you'e heard — TRAIL BLAZERS

• "In reviewing how to make the process of lawmaking more efficient, the Senate Administration Committee will study the possibility of changing the constitutional prohibition that prohibits the Senate from hearing non-emergency legislation during its first 60 days in session." — Senate interim charges announced — Postcards

• "An ex-employee at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences complained about tainted rape kits, blood stock and DNA analysis at the Dallas crime lab." — Texas Forensic Science Commission releases details about allegations of critical lapses at crime labs —Fort Worth Star-Telegram

• "And because Texas does not even come close to the national average in enrolling those eligible, grocery retailers like H-E-B and Randalls are missing out on nearly $1 billion a year in food sales...." — Official: Texas has worst-ranked food stamp program — Houston Chronicle

New in the Texas Tribune:

• "[Craig] James might have more to worry about than potential constituents who think of him as more ESPN than CSPAN." — Game On — Texas Tribune

• "As El Paso begins to wear the new off its hard-won medical school, a second Texas border community is starting on the long road to establishing one of its own." — Slow Medicine — Texas Tribune

• "Expect a torrent of pent-up input from advocacy groups treading the familiar ground of God, race and patriotism, as advocacy groups who have dogged the adoption process for a year get their chance to vent." — TribBlog: Today's SBOE History Hearings — Texas Tribune

Your afternoon annoucements:

• Gov. Rick Perry will make a major policy announcement today at 2 p.m. CST — rumors are Texas will not apply for Race to the Top.

• Farouk Shami will unveil his border security plan today at 3 p.m. CST in El Paso.